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Opinion Contributor

Michigan labor vote was political payback

Much of the media is still getting this story wrong, the author writes. | AP Photo

It only would have taken one person to stop this assault on workers. That person, Gov. Rick Snyder, for two years had said – accurately – that the anti-worker legislation was “too divisive.” After the election he suddenly reversed himself and chose to do the bidding of right-wing billionaires who gave him protective cover.

A new group headed by a DeVos company employee (and DeVos’s former campaign manager), launched a $1 million radio and television ad buy on the day Snyder announced his reversal. Americans for Prosperity set up a heated tent outside the Capitol on the day the legislation was passed and bused in supporters.

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Snyder is dutifully reciting the lies about right to work. He says it will bring jobs to Michigan, a myth that’s been debunked time and time again. He even calls the new law pro-worker.

But no amount of spin can hide the real purpose of these laws: It is to weaken the infrastructure of organized labor and, with that, the backbone of the Democratic Party and progressive movement.

The right-wing elite know they cannot win without destroying unions. That’s why they are willing to spend so much money funding the war on workers. Adelson made that clear this week, telling the Wall Street Journal that he will double his investments in the GOP and state-level attacks on labor.

The right-to-work legislation passed in Michigan is only the opening salvo for the 2014 election.

We can expect more assaults on the Democratic Party’s base at the state level for the next four years. Another Koch-backed group, the American Legislative Exchange Council, or ALEC, will push for more laws to suppress the votes of their political enemies, more laws to weaken unions and more laws to empower corporations.

Working families are ready and willing to fight this assault on democracy and defend the middle class.

James P. Hoffa, General President, International Brotherhood of Teamsters

Readers' Comments (25)

It is interesting to note that there is no mention made in your opinion story that it was suggested - TWICE - that labor not choose to push this issue. Many assert this occured BECAUSE of labor...not in spite of it.

I suspect there wasn't room in the article to put this.

Irrelevance and haughtiness.

You should be happy with the "victory" that America was suckered into paying for your bloated GM pensions. And that you stuck the bondholders. Won't happen again. For sure.

If anybody knows about "payback: it's Hoffa.The Communist,criminal,head of the Teamsters union comes from a long line of extortionists and goons who have been raping their members for dues money and giving it to politicians for decades.In the past they have also used and abused the Teamsters pension funds to support organized crime and nearly destroyed it in the 80's,requiring it to be put under government control.Hoffa and his members have become nothing more than a piggy bank and musclemen for whichever president or political party will prostitute themselves to him.Their history of corruption and violence,which was recently demonstrated in Wisconsin and Michigan has reinforced their image as thugs and punks who attempt to intimidate and buy themselves into the American labor scene.Union membership has dropped to 11% in the private sector and Americans are fed up with them destroying jobs like the steel industry and at Hostess,and causing untenable burdens on state and local economies with their outrageous contracts and unaffordable demands.Hoffa,Trumka,Steven Lehrner,Ron Bloom,Andy Stern, and others like them are dinosaurs taking their last gasps, as more and more states realize that they are better off without the burden of unions and their corrupt Communist leaders.

nothing to do with payback ... it was an overdue action .... I guess the Repubs only thought it will be better to do it after the election ... like Obama who does NOT want to cut spending since AFTER the election.

I hear no mention of the one gripe we have with forced payment of dues: Making someone pay for political activity they are against. When I was in Colorado, I was forced to pay high dues for no service and to see my due spent on Kerry for President magazines. I complained and was told I had no say in the matter. I bet if the conservatives ruled a union, there would be screams to high heaven that this is so unfair. So the best way is to treat the workers who are not of the same political beliefs fairly, and they would voluntarily join the union.

extremist union thugs like jimmy hoffa who calls out for a civil war should be wary of the fact they are a dying breed of angry downtrodden scum. jimmy you would do better looking for your father so he can have a proper burial. in the meantime if you think that collective bargaining is a human right then you are just a ****ed up scum bucket. your thugs have led the afl-cio to a position where america describes union workers as pure trash. i am sure you are proud of this position and the fact that the number of union members has consistently declined with the removal of your father as the head of the thuggery teamsters.

This article is spot on. Just remember, that Michigan of today will be different then Michigan in two years. I will guarrantee that union people will not forget and Snider is toast along with several of his playmates. It may take awhile, but the law will be reinstituted, probably in 2022 after the next change in political boundaries.

Elections have consequences Jimmy Jr!!! You will be receiving 60% less in dues by the end of 2013 and if you think the people who now get to keep more of their own money are going to vote to have you and your ilk steal it from them again, you are sadly mistaken. By the way a large portion of the auto workers you represent in the second tier who make 1/2 of what the old men make, are going to be happy to keep more of what they earned, because you did nothing to represent them in the past.

Jimmy Jr you are a dinosaur and you just don't know it and you know what happened to dinosaurs, right. You can huff and puff all you want but all that will happen is you will end up out of breath.

Mmmmm 15 comments thus far on this story . Where are the liberal / demorat's who usually post their pro-union join us or else rants ? Guess they are more concerned about what kind of shotgun some Kansas farmer has in his gun rack eh ?

Mr Hoffa fails to mention the ballot measure adding collective bargining to the Michigan constitution. If failed by a wide margin, even in a state that voted FOR Obama. That tells me even a good chunk of Democrats have had enough crony unionism.

The reason unions hate this is becasue the only way people join a union is by force. Funny how when union membership is optional, not many people join up. They have had enough of corruption and far left leaning politics. Unions are outdated and its my hope that this bill is the begining of the end for corrupt big labor.

Unions are dying Mr Hoffa and the public is no longer on your side. Even here in Wisconsin, labor cant even turn the state house blue.

This article is spot on. Just remember, that Michigan of today will be different then Michigan in two years. I will guarrantee that union people will not forget and Snider is toast along with several of his playmates. It may take awhile, but the law will be reinstituted, probably in 2022 after the next change in political boundaries.

Your's obviously is that the unions and their thugs... sorry members... are positively angelic. No voting in political patsies for you, to enable union members rates of pay and benefits that screw the local or state finances and push them in to bankruptcy

Or you can consider the alternative, more jobs at competitive rates (better a job at all than foodstamps), which right-to-work allows. More importantly, your members have a CHOICE whether they want to be members at all ... and that's really what gets up your nose ... NO DUES